GI Joe: Modern Day Heroes
by Gung-Ho-Girl-USMC
Summary: With the War on Terrorism, there couldn't be a better time for real American heroes... A retelling of the classic G.I. Joe, with modern day themes and setting. Rated for language, adult themes, humor and violence. Viewer discretion is adviced!
1. Prologue

"This is the biggest list of rejects I've seen in the whole of my military career!"

Papers flew as General Hume of the U.S. Army threw a folder down onto the glossy wooden tabletop.

"How the hell are we supposed to win the War on Terrorism with a crack-pot Special Forces unit of join-service losers?"

"Not all of them are losers...there's a few good apples in the bunch," one Air Force colonel piped up, her expression cautiously optimistic.

"Colonel Epefano makes an excellent point," Marine general, Albert Crosser, nodded. "Take Sergeant Pyke for example - he's the finest drill instructor on Parris Island at this time. His service record practically glows."

"That it does," Hume nodded, paused, and then snorted contemptuously. "Until you count the rape accusation that was recently filed on him by one of his own recruits!"

The room fell silent as General Crosser looked well put in his place. But then an admiral piped up, picking out one of the papers that had fallen from the general's folder.

"What about Lieutenant J.G. Burnett? She's a top-notch pilot and a damn fine officer - graduated top of her class at the Naval Academy."

"True, true," Hume nodded slowly as he picked up another personnel folder that lay near him. "Burnett is indeed a fine naval officer and an excellent pilot, according to her service record. However," Hume paused for dramatic effect as he shook the folder at Admiral Rueher, "Her medical record tells a different story! She's a fine pilot as long as she doesn't fly into any terrain that would exacerbate her acute claustrophobia and she suffers from severe clinical depression. She's on damn happy pills half of the goddamn time, for chrissake!

"Gentlemen...and lady," Hume nodded toward Colonel Epefano. "What we have here is a list of complete failures - the sheer dredges of military society.

"We have recommended here a Marine supply sergeant who beats his wife and blatantly disobeys restraining orders! We have a Naval master-at-arms dog-handler who can't take orders and mixes her alcohol binges with over-the-counter medicine overdoses whenever she's off duty!

"We've been given a boatswain's mate who starts bar fights at every port he visits; an Army medic who suddenly decides she's a conscientious objector and an Air Force intelligence staff sergeant who's been accused of selling top secret information to the enemy!

"Not to mention the Air Force warrant officer grounded for fraternization, bounced checks, outstanding debt, and improper conduct, the Army corporal accused of participating in an Army-wide narcotics smuggling ring and the Marine corporal who sells her body every night to the highest bidder!

"What we have here is a folder full of rapists, traitors, alcoholics, suicide watches, tree-huggers, druggies, prostitutes, and trouble-makers! Someone tell me how such an important mission is going to be successful when left to the devices of soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines who would do the world a better service by serving time in Leavenworth?"

The room remained silent as a handful of high-ranking officers from every military branch glanced nervously at each other. General Hume's words seemed to have shaken all but one, an Air Force captain who had, until that moment, been quietly observing the meeting.

"May I point out, General, that these individuals were handpicked because they were considered 'expendable,'" the captain sat forward, propping his elbows on the table and folding his hands in front of him. "Many officers and officials consider the people in your folder to be just as you say - losers, the dredges of the military.

"But I've been out to visit each and every person in that dossier," the captain continued, his voice quiet, but commanding. "And I'm here to tell you that there are other reasons why those particular people have been picked. For one, there are people on your list who haven't done a damn thing wrong - Senior Airman Pine, for example, or Sergeant First Class Hinton, or even Gunny Sergeant LaFitte. In fact, by my count, there are at least eight people in that list who haven't done anything more severe than breaking the speed limit."

"So there is, so there is, Captain Talltree," Hume backed down a bit, but his black eyes remained hard as he eyed the Air Force officer at the end of the oval table. "But with the exception of Gunny Sergeant LaFitte and Sergeant First Class Hinton, those eight non-troublemakers have a military performance record that's barely mediocre."

"Military performance, yes – but every single person on that list is an expert in their field," Talltree folded his arms stubbornly. "_Including _the troublemakers. MA3 Perlmutter – the dog handler – is known as 'the dog whisperer' because of her undisputed expertise with military working dogs. Corporal Rudat is an expert in desert survival and warfare tactics. Senior Airman Pine is recognized as a go-to man for artic survival and search and rescue techniques – not necessarily because of his military experience, but because he grew up his entire life in No-where, Alaska.

"Staff Sergeant O'Hara – an expert in military intelligence. Sergeant Kasnerbogen specializes in ground-to-air missiles, artillery tactics, and air defense artillery. HM2 Greer is a decorated corpsman who's served with Marine units for the last four years. Tech Sergeant Parker – a gem of the communications field who has yet to meet her match in the world of computers and electronics.

"The list goes on, General – a full twenty names. So what if some of them have mediocre military records? Not all of them do. I'm sure GM1 Sneeden would be rather offended to know that you consider his military career, as a SEAL, is 'mediocre'."

Captain Talltree paused a bit for effect, his blue eyes gazing steadily at General Hume, as if hoping to gauge the man's reaction. Hume huffed a bit under his mustache, but remained silent, his eyes narrowed a bit.

"As for the troublemakers? Sergeant Pyke has been cleared of all charges – the girl in his platoon _was_ raped, but not by him. She never got a clear look at the attacker's face and the semen samples do _not_ match those of Sergeant Pyke. MA3 Perlmutter has been to rehabilitation and has now been sober and clean for the past six months; in fact, she was just recently promoted. Corporal Krieger was indeed participating in a prostitution ring, but she's been to rehab herself, has sought the appropriate medical and psychological help, and has walked the straight and narrow for three months.

"As for Corporal Rudat and Staff Sergeant O'Hara – all accusations and investigations against them have been dropped. As it turns out, O'Hara was framed by the guilty party and Rudat was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lieutenant J.G. Burnett continues to have a stellar record and her psychological problems haven't affected her performance as an officer or a pilot. Warrant Officer Fairborn has paid off his debts, only bounced _one_ check – which, as you know, results in nothing more severe than non-judicial punishment – and has been cleared of all fraternization charges.

"And finally, Sergeant Michaels…I don't know his whole case," Talltree paused long enough to scratch his nose. "But I trust his first sergeant enough to believe the man when he told me that Sergeant Michaels is _not_ a wife beater, nor does he intentionally go out of his way to disobey orders.

"This might not be the crack-force team you were anticipating, General, but I believe these people have potential," Talltree raised a slight eyebrow, as if daring Hume to contradict him. "With the right training and the right leadership, I really do believe they can rise up to the challenges ahead of them and help us finally bring the war in Iraq to an end."

**Author's Notes:** I have recently re-discovered the joys of the best 80's cartoon show ever (in my humble opinion) - G.I. Joe. But while watching the show, strange ideas kept popping up in the back of my mind and finally, I couldn't ignore them any more.

I love G.I. Joe in it's original, uncorrupted form. However, I'd also love to see it completely revamped - more modern, more realistic and a bit more "adult" so those of us who grew up with it can enjoy it on a whole new level. And that's what I'll be attempting to do here - I'm not "rewriting" the original series. I'm simply taking the ideas of G.I. Joe and applying it to the 21st century and our current War on Terrorism.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own G.I. Joe or any characters except Sgt. Christian "Devil Dog" Michaels (my **one** original G.I. Joe character). I have used original characters and character names - that, however, is one of the few similiarities that _G.I. Joe: Modern Day Heroes_ has with the original series. This is a completely new spin-off of an old series and I ask that you, Dear Reader, keep an open mind and not compare _G.I. Joe: Modern Day Heroes_ to the 80's cartoon or the comics. I will try my best to stay true to the spirit of G.I. Joe and the personalities of the original characters; there will be deviations, however, for the sake of creative liscence.

And with that out of the way...here's the new G.I. Joe scenario:

With our current War on Terrorism, who needs Cobra? The Joes are a group of modern soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines brought together involuntarily, to create a Special Forces group to battle terrorism in the Middle East in the hopes that the War in Iraq can finally come to an end. In this new modern force, the Joes are evenly divided into four groups - five Marines, five airmen, five soldiers, and five sailors. Roll call is as follows:

**USMC - United States Marine Corps**

_Gunny Sergeant Ettienne R. LaFitte ("Gung Ho")  
Sergeant Richard F. Pyke ("Sgt. Slaughter")  
Staff Sergeant Wendell A. Metzger ("Leatherneck")  
Sergeant Christian D. Michaels ("Devil Dog")  
Corporal Courtney A. Krieger ("Cover Girl")_

**USAF - United States Air Force**

_Captain Franklin E. Talltree ("Airborne")  
Warrant Officer Dashiell R. Fairborn ("Flint")  
Tech Sergeant Brianna L. Parker ("Mainframe")  
Staff Sergeant Shana O'Hara ("Scarlett")  
Senior Airman Albert M. Pine ("Alpine")_

**USAR - United States Army**

_First Sergeant Conrad S. Hauser ("Duke")  
Sergeant First Class Marvin F. Hinton ("Roadblock")  
Specialist Emily C. Steen ("Lifeline")  
Sergeant David L. Kasnerbogen ("Bazooka")  
Corporal Ronald R. Rudat ("Dusty")_

**USN - United States Navy**

_Lieutenant Junior Grade Alison R. Hart-Burnett ("Lady Jaye")  
GM1 Wayne R. Sneeden ("Beach Head")  
HM2 Carl W. Greer ("Doc")  
BM2 Hector X. Delgato ("Shipwreck")  
MA3 Seraphina R. Perlmutter ("Mutt")_

Please, read with an open mind and enjoy! All suggestions, comments, and questions are welcome - no out-right flames will be accepted, however. If you don't like the idea behind this and if you're a purist who thinks that G.I. Joe shouldn't be "tampered" with under any circumstance, then don't bother reading. For those of you, though, who don't mind a fresh way of looking at an old story, then please - carry on and let me know what you think!


	2. GI Joe Chapter One

"Rise and shine, gorgeous."

"Do I have to?" a tousled dirty-blond head appeared from under a threadbare, paisley patterned comforter. "God, Chris – you're half-dressed already?" a pair of hazel eyes peered sleepily at her companion.

"We've got places to go, people to see," Chris reached out and tugged the comforter back to reveal a small, rather curvaceous, half-naked woman who was curled around her pillow. "You don't want me to get you out of bed, Sera."

_I don't wanna'_, Sera thought mulishly, but she only glared a bit at Chris and sat up grudgingly.

"Knowing you, you'd dump the mattress on the floor, boot camp style," the young woman huffed, stifling a yawn and mussing up her case of bed head.

"Damn right!" Chris turned and swaggered a bit toward the bathroom, whistling the Marine's Hymn as loudly as he could.

"Jackass," Sera muttered under her breath, but there was a smile on her face as she watched her boyfriend close the bathroom door behind him.

"I heard that, woman!" Chris growled through the closed door. "You'd better be out of that bed and movin' when I come out!"

"Roger that, _Sergeant_," the young woman retorted sarcastically, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile as she tossed the covers aside and dangled her feet just off of the floor.

"You're just askin' for an ass-whoopin', ain't ya'?"

"Who, me?" Sera stretched luxuriously one last time and then decided she'd better get up and start getting dressed, as she heard the toilet flush. "An ass-whoopin' from you? Never!"

"It won't be the kind you _like_," Chris pushed open the bathroom door with his shoulder as he finished zipping his uniform pants.

He fixed Sera with what was supposed to be a dangerous, intimidating look, but his girlfriend only laughed at him and kissed him quickly on the cheek as she sidled past him.

"Excuse me, sweetheart – I need to take a shower," she winked at him playfully.

"Ain't got time for a shower," Chris stated bullishly, crossing his arms and glaring down his nose at the petite woman next to him.

"Bullshit," Sera pointed in the general direction of the bed-side table. "The alarm clock hasn't even gone off and I set that thing so I'd have plenty of time to shower and dress. Don't be a butt," she smacked the seat of his camis teasingly as she moved to shut to door in his face. "Though you'd be a cute one to be sure."

"Humph," the Marine sergeant lifted an eyebrow, but still refused to move out of the way of the bathroom door. "Who needs showers anyway? Not like you've done anything recently to get _dirty_."

Sera shot him a rather pointed look and then rolled her eyes.

"Honey, just because I date a Marine doesn't mean I have to _smell _like one –"

"Oh-ho! She's got jokes!"

"-And I'm not showing up to our new command smelling like sex!" she then put her hand on his bare shoulder and pushed half-heartedly. "Now get out of the way – unless you'd like to get _undressed_ and join me!"

"That would lead to things we don't have time for," Chris shook his head, standing his ground.

"Then get out of the way, you nutter!" Sera laughed and pushed a bit harder as the alarm clock began to beep. "And go turn that damn thing off!"

Sera emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, still a bit damp, her hair still dripping water down her back. She glanced over at Chris, who was now fully dressed and leaning casually against wooden entertainment center. He'd turned the TV on and was listening to the morning AFN radio broadcast while cleaning his fingernails with a small knife.

"So, what's our schedule look like?" Sera's towel dropped to the floor and she reached for her open seabag.

"Well, we fly out of here in two hours," Chris's eyes reluctantly left the fine view offered to him, to glance at the bedside clock. "We're supposed to land in Rammstein Air Force Base in Germany, pick up some other passengers and then head out for Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. From there…who knows. Orders don't say, so I guess we'll be meeting the whole group – or most of it – at Langley and then getting shuttled out to some undisclosed base."

"Hmmm…I still think it's funny that you and I were _both_ picked for this mission, whatever it is," Sera shook her head a bit as she finished adjusting her sports bra.

"I want to know what on earth requires a Marine supply sergeant and a Navy dog handler on the same team," Chris snorted a bit, shifting his position a bit as he put his knife away.

"Guess we'll find out when we get to where we're getting," Sera shrugged and then paused, glancing over at her boyfriend with a slight frown. "Aren't we supposed to travel in civilian clothes?"

"My first sergeant told me to be in uniform for this. I'm guessing you should be, too – hell if I know why, though."

"Oh, well," the young master-at-arms sighed and turned away from her seabag, heading instead toward a clothes bag that was hanging neatly on a hook on the back of the bathroom door. "Camis it is, then, I guess."

The two fell silent for a few minutes as Sera got dressed – the AFN morning DJ chattered on in the background, a peculiar contrast to the suddenly introspective mood that filled the small hotel room. Finally, the young sailor broke the silence, buttoning her cami blouse and glancing over at Chris.

"I guess things are going to change now for us, aren't they?"

"What do you mean?" her boyfriend looked up sharply, his arms folded over his chest.

"Do you really think we can date in a team environment and still keep a professional relationship on the field?" Sera sighed heavily, moving toward the bed so she could put her boots on. "I can't believe they overlooked that – I know in _my_ security detachment they separate dating couples into different watch sections so that fraternization and general drama can be avoided."

"I don't think anyone made the connection between you and me, honestly," Chris spoke matter-of-factly, but there was a closed look on his face. "You told me that some Air Force captain came and interviewed you, right?"

Sera nodded.

"Well, he didn't interview me. He talked to my first sergeant instead and I don't think First Sergeant even knows I'm dating, much less _you_ specifically. Most everyone around here knows is that I'm dating a sailor, but they don't know _who_. Priest and Doc knew, but they're gone now. Unless you specifically told that captain that you were dating _me_, I doubt anyone knows about our relationship – and I'm sure that your personal relationships didn't come up in the interview, did they?"

"No," Sera shook her head as she stood up, her boots laced and her pant legs properly bloused. "And you're right – someone who doesn't know us both personally would never guess that we're boyfriend and girlfriend. I mean…we _are_ in separate services, working on separate bases. I guess it's a bit of a stretch to expect higher ups to suspect that two people they picked for some sort of high importance mission would already be a couple.

"But it sure is going to be awkward now."

"What makes you say that?" Chris frowned a bit.

He glanced around the room, making a last visual sweep over, before looking toward Sera. She was standing, fully dressed and ready, her own seabag now closed. Grabbing the room key and check out paper, he handed them to her and then shouldered his bag.

"Well…think about it. We'll be working _together_ now, for sure."

"Not necessarily," the sergeant disagreed hopefully. "All our orders say is that we're to report to Langely Air Force base, where we'll receive further orders. They say nothing about us working on a special joint-service team together – that's all speculation on the part of my first sergeant and your senior chief."

"True," Sera sighed as they closed the hotel door behind them and started down the stairs to the first floor lobby. "But it makes sense – Senior Chief Dutcher told me that other sailors had been chosen, along with other candidates from the other branches. We're all supposed to be part of some classified strike force."

"Says Dutcher – but what does he know?" Chris challenged.

"Oh, I don't know," the young MA shrugged.

"Go check out for us an' I'm goin' to call my corporal to come pick us up and give us a ride out to the air strip," Chris changed the subject abruptly as they approached the lobby counter. "Okay, sweetie?"

"Okay," Sera set her seabag down and paused for a minute to fish her wallet out of her pant pocket.

"And honey?" the sergeant paused as well, cell phone in hand.

He reached out and touched her shoulder, his expression suddenly gentle and sincere.

"We're in uniform now, so you know the rules. When we step out of this building, it's strictly business. But I love you, Sera – don't forget that. No matter what happens, we'll ride this out together, all right?"

"All right," Sera smiled at him briefly, reaching up to put her hand over his.

Chris nodded, smiled once, before removing his hand and turning away to call his corporal; the sailor moved on toward the lobby counter, check-out papers, room key, and military ID in hand, her boyfriend's words ringing in her ears.

_I wish I knew what was going on_, Sera fidgeted a bit in her seat.

She glanced over at Chris, who was dozing next to her; Sera eyed him enviously.

_Wish I could do that. Would make this flight a lot shorter._

She stifled another sigh and turned to look out the window. All she could see was cloud coverage – they were up too high to see anything else. The couple had hitched a ride with a cargo plane, part of the military Space Available travel program, to travel from Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station in Japan to their Air Force base stop-over in Germany. As far as Sera could guess, they were somewhere over the Baltic Sea.

Her thoughts drifted, though they stayed mostly centered around the strange orders she had been given.

_All of this came completely out of the blue_, she shook her head a bit, her gaze still focused out of the window. _I was just standing watch at the main gate like always and next thing I know, my watch commander's calling me into the station…_

"MA3 Seraphina Perlmutter?"

Sera stared a bit at the Air Force captain who had been sitting in one of the interrogation room chairs, but was now standing up, offering her his hand.

"H-Hello, sir," the young master-at-arms stuttered a bit, taken by complete surprise.

She shook the officer's hand, both wary and a little unsettled.

_What did I do this time? Is this some quack doctor come to psycho-analyze me again?_

She searched his collar quickly for any sign of a medical officer's insignia. She didn't see anything to indicate his field specialty, medical or otherwise. Breathing a bit easier, she looked back at the officer's face, her expression curious.

"Please, sit down," the captain motioned to the chair opposite him. "I'm Captain Talltree and I'm just here for a quick interview – your senior chief will be joining us shortly, but I figure I'll go ahead and get this started. I know your time is precious."

He smiled briefly, but it was genuine and Sera felt her self liking the man, even though she usually reserved a considerable amount of suspicion for all officers and 'khakis.'

"Now, I'm afraid I can't tell you the reason I'm here today to interview you, MA3," Talltree settled back in his chair and placed a folder that Sera recognized as her own personnel record on the table between them. "But you've been picked for special orders – I'm going to be your new commanding officer soon," he smiled again. "And I'd like to take some time to know you as a person and not as a service record.

"Now," he opened her record and flipped through it a bit, until settling on a particular page.

Sera recognized it as her disciplinary papers and she grimaced a bit. Talltree apparently saw her expression and he chuckled a bit, before folding his hands on top of her folder.

"I see that you've been NJPed – what does the Navy call it?"

"Mast, sir," Sera answered meekly. "A Non-Judicial Punishment proceeding in the Navy is called Captain's Mast, or simply, Mast."

"Ah, thank you," the captain nodded, his expression unchanging from one of sincere and friendly interest. "Got to set us Air Force flyboys straight, you know – I'm afraid some of your Navy lingo is quite another language to me."

Talltree laughed a bit and Sera manage to crack a weak smile.

_I wish he'd get to the point. What's all this about? Where's Senior?_

"Now…according to your record, you went to Mast for coming into work on two occasions in a non-professional manner. The first time, you were still hung over and you were officially counseled and given a reprimand. The second time, you were not only hung-over, but well stoked on over-the-counter medications. In fact, some doctors have indicated in your medical record that you were on a self-destructive – dare say, suicidal? – path, which is why, I believe, you were sent to Okinawa for three weeks to undergo psychological evaluation and rehabilitation."

"Yes, sir," Sera nodded slowly; she was ashamed of that chapter in her past, but there was no denying the black and white truth.

"Why would you do things like that, MA3? Why chance throwing away a good military career by drinking? And why would you ever try mixing alcohol with medication?"

Sera fell silent for a few seconds, refusing to meet Talltree's piercing gray eyes. But then she finally shifted in her seat, sighed heavily, and told him what she had come to face about herself.

"I was raped while undergoing my master-at-arms training in San Antonio, Texas. I was raped by an airman, in fact – " Talltree made a slight noise of disapproval, his expression indignant. "He's now serving time, thankfully, but…I didn't seek help then. I told myself that I didn't have any mental problems because of what happened – I was ok. But I started drinking heavily while I was still in Texas.

"When I got here, I was stupid and got pregnant. I miscarried after two months – that messed me up pretty good," Sera was now looking at her hands, talking quietly as if Talltree wasn't even in the room. "I started taking medications to help me sleep – pretty soon, I was mixing my alcohol and my meds and I didn't care what happened. I don't think at the time that I was consciously suicidal. But now, when I look back, I know that I was – I was trying to forget what had happened to me and to my baby, instead of dealing with the past."

Talltree nodded slowly and the room fell silent for several minutes before he continued, quietly.

"You were known for having a severe attitude problem then, too. Belligerent, bordering on the insubordinate, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"As I understand it, you no longer drink and you take an herbal tea to help you sleep in place of over-the-counter medications, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm glad to hear that, MA3. Your service record shows that you've improved your military performance drastically since a year ago – congratulations on getting promoted this last cycle, too."

"Thank you, sir," Sera finally glanced up and was greeted by Talltree's wide smile.

He glanced down at her service record and flipped through a few more pages before closing it entirely.

"Now, I hear that you still have a bit of an attitude problem. Not as bad as before, but you still have a bit of a temper?"

"I stand up for myself, sir," Sera sat a bit straighter, lifting her chin proudly. "I think that a lot of things this command does is wrong and I'm not afraid to let my chain of command know. I've counseled about losing my temper and I'm working with the chaplain here on fixing that. But I'm not going to sit by and watch while my fellow MAs get screwed over by bad leadership."

"An admirable trait," Talltree wasn't smiling, but there was a look of approval in his eyes; Sera sat a bit straighter, a bit prouder. "You've got promise of a great leader, MA3, as long as you continue to learn when, where, and how to fight your battles. I'd say some tact would be in store, but there's nothing wrong with standing up for yourself or for others."

He then chuckled and Sera felt at ease, for the first time since the interview started.

"Now, the other thing of interest to me is your expertise. Regardless of your service record, counseling chits, or Mast, you're known throughout this base as being the best dog handler this side of the Pacific. In fact," Talltree grinned. "I believe you're known as 'the dog whisperer.' How's that?"

"I grew up around dogs. I've never _not_ had a dog," Sera shrugged a bit, sheepish at the second-hand praise. "I have yet to meet a dog I didn't like, or that didn't like me. I understand dogs, I guess…I mean, I don't think I do anything special," she blushed modestly. "I just…I don't know…dogs and I understand each other. I know it sounds cheesy and all, but in some ways, they make better friends than people. You treat 'em right and they'll never let you down."

Talltree nodded, his eyes smiling.

"As I understand it, your personal dog was going to be put down before you got a hold of him, correct?"

"Yes, sir – Junkyard is the only rottweiler in our kennel and I think that intimated a lot of people. I mean, rottweiler's have a meaner reputation than German Shepherds. But ole' Junk never scared me."

"He nearly killed another master-at-arms."

"Because the idiot wasn't treating Junk right," Sera's eyes flashed a bit indignation, forgetting completely, for the moment, to whom she was talking. "Junk has _never_ hurt me any way, nor has he ever tried. He's a big pussy, actually."

Sera then realized what she'd said and she blushed, ducking her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry for my language, sir."

"No offense taken," Talltree chuckled. "You have passion about your dog and your job – I'm not going to fault you for that.

"In fact, MA3, that's one of the reasons you've been chosen," Talltree sat back in his chair, leaving Sera's personnel folder where it lay.

"Chosen for what, sir?" Sera frowned slightly, eyeing Talltree suspiciously.

"You'll know in good time, MA3," the Air Force captain chuckled amiably as he stood up, signaling the end of the interview.

Just then, the door opened and Sera's senior walked in, looking just as confused and distraught as Sera had been when she entered.

"Ah, Senior Chief Dutcher," Talltree smiled cordially at the senior NCO before turning back to Sera. "I hope you don't mind, but I've got a plane to catch to Iwakuni. Senior Chief will give you your new orders – I hope to see you soon, MA3. Good luck until then."

_I wonder…are we supposed to meet him at Langely? Along with the others assigned the same orders?_

Sera looked over at Chris tenderly, her thoughts distracted when he mumbled a bit in his sleep and moved a bit, his weight shifting against her as his head nodded against her shoulder. There was no one else in their part of the plane, so Sera didn't feel at all uncomfortable to have a Marine sergeant snuggling up against her. She smiled at his sleeping face and then turned to look out the window again.

_I wonder what this is all about. Senior said I'd been picked to participate in some kind of joint-force team. I'm guessing Chris has been, too, since we're going to the same place. I wonder what we'll be doing…like he said, I can't imagine what a Navy dog handler and a Marine supply sergeant would have that's essential to the same team._

A part of Sera wished desperately that her Senior was wrong, though. Not that she minded being given new orders out of the blue, to somewhere she didn't know to do only the gods knew what. But she prayed that whatever was waiting for her and Chris at Langley Air Force Base, it wouldn't force them to decide between their professional and private lives.

_I don't know what I'd do without him – he's been the one thing that's kept me going these last six months. What no one knows is that I've been able to stay away from the alcohol and the drugs because I promised **him** I wouldn't touch them anymore. I didn't care about anything until I met him – but he's made all the difference in almost every area of my life._

Sera looked down at Chris' sleeping face and smiled gently. She rested her own cheek against the top of his head, enjoying the feeling of his soft hair against her skin.

_If we've been given orders to do the same thing…to work on the same team…then I don't know what we'll do. I can't imagine working for the one you love in a professional military manner – but I'll have to respect Chris' rank. He's a superior NCO and if we work together, I'll have to treat him accordingly, in and out of uniform, whenever we're around any one else. I don't want either of us to get into trouble for unprofessional behavior, but…_

Sera sighed heavily; suddenly, Chris stirred and he lifted his head a bit, his brown eyes focusing sleepily on her face.

"Wazz da' matter?"

"Nothing," Sera replied quietly, a soft sort of smile playing across her face.

"Don't lie to me," Chris propped himself up on his elbow and frowned at her. "What's wrong?"

"Just thinkin' 'bout old Junk," Sera forced a smile and then looked away, hoping that he wouldn't catch her bluff. "They're sure to put him down, now that I'm gone. He won't work for anyone else."

Though she brought up Junk in order to avoid sharing her real thoughts with Chris, her concerns over her dog were genuine. Sera's expression turned pensive and she shook her head a bit.

"I guess it's silly, but he was my first working dog outside of the dog handler's training course and he was a damn good friend. My only friend back in Sasebo, really, outside of Becca, Sarah, and Clint. I hope I'm lucky enough to work with another dog like him – thought I doubt there's any that could be as good as old Junk."

"Hmm," Chris made a non-committal noise and settled down again, his head on Sera's shoulder. "That's assuming you'll be working with dogs again. Who knows what we all be doing from here on out."

"Yeah…no kidding," Sera laughed shortly.

"Anyone in here?" Chris yawned a bit, nuzzling Sera's shoulder.

"No," she glanced around, just to double-check.

"Good," her boyfriend sighed sleepily. "If anyone asks, I fell asleep and my head just happened to fall for the nearest pillow-like object," he shrugged his shoulders and squirmed a bit in his seat, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

"Yes, god forbid a Marine should snuggle with a sailor," Sera giggled, planting a quick kiss on Chris's head.

"Damn straight."

The two fell silent after that and Chris's soft snoring soon filled the air between them. Sera leaned back in her seat, his head still resting on her shoulder; she watched the sergeant sleep, lost in her own thoughts and worries.


End file.
